How Is Your Quality of Life?

4/19/2008 at 07:04 PM

  Quality of Life, exactly what does that mean?

J.K. Rowlings who writes the Harry Potter books, tells of her experience with her mother’s MS. More than the disease progression, it was the deterioration of the quality of life that affected her mother and therefore her family. That is an important point, one that we sometimes forget. It may be easier to accept a chronic disease progression than it is to accept the retrogression of quality of life. Further, when quality of life deteriorates, it is not only the person with the condition who is affected, but the family and extended family.

The degree to which a person enjoys the important possibilities of his or her life.

Source: The World Health Organization (WHO) Conceptual Framework

The perceived physical and mental health over time. A measure of the effects of chronic illness...and how an illness interferes with a person's everyday life.

Source: The Center for Disease Control (CDC) regarding health-related quality of life

Quality of Life does not pertain only to people with chronic illnesses. Healthy people with disabilities may experience a drop in their perceived life quality when access is denied or awkward, when other people stare or avoid them, or when an unfortunate choice of words makes them feel as if they do not belong in a group or place. Healthy people with no disability also experience changes in their perceived quality of life for a variety of reasons; e.g. loss of job or income, environmental conditions, crime, etc.

The Economist Intelligence Unit Quality of Life Index attempted to rate the quality of life in 111 countries in 2005 based largely on the GDP. There is a problem with that methodology they say. It seems it's not all about the money, and it is difficult to weigh non-market, subjective factors so that valid comparisons can be made across cultures. They also indicated that some responses were undoubtedly what respondants thought was expected instead of what they really thought. Hmmm. Welcome to the world of surveys. Eventually, it was decided to use the survey results as a starting point to build an objective comparative report.

The quality of life research center says it is important to make life worth living. They are studying transmitting knowledge through mentoring, the role of arts, spiritual practices, and even Internet games in quality of life, thereby broadening the available important possibilities. The main focus here is positive thought. Not a bad idea for a positive perspective on quality of life.

I have a chronic condition, the same one as J.K. Rowling's mother, and my doctor and I think it is important to track my physical progression. However, we must also attend to my quality of life, or as the quality of life research center so concisely said, making my life worth living.  Benedetto Saraceno, a Director at the World Health Organization, points out that health care is moving from a disease-oriented approach to focus on patient experience and needs. Sounds like a promising trend to me.

There are always going to be factors that affect my quality of life that I cannot control. I can control my attitude, and perspective makes a world of difference. One of my favorite quotes is particularly applicable here:

Filed under: Vicki's MS Path, disability, disaboom, healthcare, ms, multiple sclerosis, Hugh Downs, Vicki, Benedetto Sarceno, quality of life, World Health Organization